Rigid-blade fountain adjustment



Original Filed Dec. 21, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 14, 1930. A, w w 1,778,476

RIGID BLADE FOUNTAIN ADJUSTMENT Original Filed Dec. 21, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 14, 1930. H. A. w. WOOD RIGID BLADE FOUNTAIN ADJUSTMENT Original Filed Dec. 21, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY A. WISE WOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN OR TO WOOD NEWSPAPER MACHIN- ERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA RIGID-BLADE FOUNTAIN ADJUSTMENT Application filed December 21, 1927, Serial No. 241,584. Renewed March 8, 1980.

This invention relates to the adjustment of a fountain blade for an inking apparatus. The principal objects of the invention are to provide'means whereby the adjustment of the fountain blade of an inking apparatus can be performed in a shorter time than has been necessary heretofore Withfiexible blades; to provide means facilitating the shutting off of theink entirely from any one page and enabling the operator to return the blade to the same position as before after it has been shut off; to provide means for adjusting the blades, and means for keeping the margins clean of ink. I

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

' Reference is tobe had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan of a fountain roll showing four blades, one of them being adjusted so that only three pages of the width of the web will be.inked;' I

Fig. 2 is a plan on enlarged scale showing further details;

Fig. Sis an enlarged sectional view, taken longitudinally across two blades showing a tongue and groove connection between them so that they can be adjusted without leaving a space;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 44 of Fig. 2 on enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan of the same showing the connection between two adjacent blades and the margin cleaner;

Fig. 6 is a'front elevation of one end of the means for controlling the position of the blades;

Fig. 7 is a similar View of the other end of this mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing a different position of the parts;

Fig: 9 is a plan of the adjusting bar for a blade with adjacent parts in section, and

V Fig. 10 is an end view of one of the hand wheels on the adjusting shaft.

"It has been customary heretofore to use flexible blades for adjusting the ink film on fountain rollers and these were adjusted by a series of screws placed at regular intervals along the length of the blade. This has been a successful means for varying the amount of ink delivered to any one of the four pages across the width of the press or to. any portion of each page. It has been found, however, that when two dissimilar printing plates are placed around the cylinder on any one page they may vary widely in their demands for ink, and the adjustment above mentioned fails. Different quantities of ink cannot be delivered to the different places. This old adjustment also is a timeconsuming device because a great many screws have to be adjusted each time a change is made.

This invention is designed to avoid these difliculties and to provide a quick-acting means for shutting off the ink from any one page and restoring it to its original condition again. For this purpose a single rigid blade is used to ink the width of each page, each blade adjustable independently of the others.

I have shown the invention as applied to a fountain having the usual roll 10, back 11 and cover 12. Between the back and cover are located the blades 13. Each of these blades is made of rigid metal so that it con stitutes a rigid unit which cannot be adjusted by flexing it in the old way. Each blade is provided with a lug 14 against which bear springs 15. These springs are adjusts able by means of screws 16. This, however,- adjusts the pressure of the springs only. The springs always act to force the blade toward the fountain roll and its adjustment is obtained by. two adjustable screws 17, one at each end of each blade. Each screw is pr0- vided with a beveled end 18 which, as shown in Fig. 9, is set in a cam notch 19 in a bar 20, which is adapted'to be moved longitudinal- 1y. There is one of these bars 20' for each blade.

The movement of any one of these bars causes the two screws 17 for that blade to be moved back or forward as the case may be. In moving away from the fountain roll it moves against the pressure of the springs 15'and when moved toward it, it is permitted to advance a distance controlled by the setting of the bar 20 and screws 17. 1

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these blades toward the fountain roll so asv Each bar is provided with a poppet 21 at one end thereof which receives a screw 22 extending across the entire length of the fountain. There are four of these screws, one for each of these bars. Each screw is equippediwith anordinary hand wheel 23 at one end of the m'achineand at the other end it has a similar hand wheel 24 except that one of the lobes 25 is mounted on a pivot and is provided with a-cam' portion 26 which bears against the face of the hand" wheel itself. A spring27 is located between a collar 28 fixed on the screw and the end of the hub of the-handwheel. The hand wheel; is rotatably mounted in the frame 30 and is kept in position by a collar. 31 fastened to the hub 32 which is an integral'part of the hand wheel and which passesthrough thev blade is withdrawn frointhe fountain a distance controlled. by the position of the bar 20 and the screws 17. .This permits the ink to bebrought up to the fountain roll without changing its normal setting. In that way it is possible to print a three page wide web one day and return to a four page wide web the following day without having to readjust the setting of the blade on the fourth page.

,In Figs. .3 and SI have showna tongue and groove construction 36 between two blades. This permits the blades to move independently of each other from and toward the. fountain without leaving a space between them. I have also shown in Figs.

4 and 5 a narrow blade 37 placed opposite each of the several margins. These blades wipe these margins clean of ink at all times regardless of the position'of the blades on eachside thereof. a 4 I .It willlbe seen that "-each. blade is'individually adjusted by its screws 17, one at each end, and that the springs 15 normally force to regulate the-film of ink upon the same.

. The ends of the screws 1? control the distance of the operative edge of each blade from the fountain roll. The sliding bars 20 act quickly and without the turning .of screws or the making of other adjustments to draw. each blade back individually as may be desired or to push it forward into contact with. the fountain roll so as to cut off one page wheneverdesired. It will be seen also that the movement ofthe bar 20 back to its original position, which is done accu' rately by the pivoted lobe of the hand wheel, will bring the blade back to its original position after this adjustment. the relation of the blade to the fountain roll is controlled by the turningof the hand- .wheel at either end of the several screws 22 and any fine adjustment that is necessary is out departing from the scope ofthe inven- 7 tion as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do'not wish to be limitedto allthe. details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claimis:

1. In an inking apparatus, the combination with a fountain roll, of a rigid blade engaging the surfacethereof for regulating the ink Y film thereon, yielding means for forcing the,

blade constantly, toward the .roll, positive means for forcing the blade against the .roll to cut off the ink, and means formoving it backto its original position. 1 l .3.

2. In an inking apparatusj'for, a printing press, the combination with a fountain roll, of a rigid blade engaging the surface thereof, means for regulating the ink film, means for forcing the blade toward the roll to cut off the ink, and means for moving theblade back to its original position-of adjustment to allow the desired film of ink to pass. v

3. In an inkfountain, the combination with a fountain roll, of a blade mounted to engage the roll, yielding means for forcingthe blade toward the roll constantly, a transverse bar having camsurfaces, means on the blade for engaging said cam surfaces and holding the blade at the desired distancefrom the roll, said bar being shiftable to two positions, in one of which it always'leaves the blade at the same adjusted position" to regulatethe ink film, and in the other of which it moves, the blade up to prevent the ink from passing by.

4. In an ink fountain, the combination with a fountain roll, of a blade mounted to engage the roll, yielding means for forcing the blade toward the roll constantly, a transversebar, means adjustably mounted on the blade'for. engaging the bar to regulate the thicknessof the film of ink left on the roll, saijdbladebe. ing shiftable to two positions, in one of which it always leaves theblade at the same adjusted position, and in the other of which it forces the blade against the roll to prevent the ink from passing it.

5. In an inking apparatus, the combination with the fountain roll, ofa series of rigid.

Furthermore,

blades arranged therealong, each one page in width, means connected to each blade for yieldingly pressing them toward the roll, means for regulating the distance between the edge of each blade and the roll, and means connected with each blade for moving that blade individually against the roll to stop the passage of ink to one page.

6. In an inking apparatus, the combination with the fountain roll, of a series of blades arranged therealong, each one page in width, means for yieldingly pressing them toward the roll, a transverse bar for each blade having cam surfaces, adjustable means connected with each blade at its-opposite ends for engaging said cam surfaces and adjusting the position of the blade, whereby when moved in one direction the bar will draw its blade back, and means whereby, when moved in the opposite direction, it will allow the said blade to move into contact with the roll.

7. In an ink fountain, the combination with a fountain roll, of a rigid blade for engaging it, a transverse bar having cam surfaces, means on the blade for engaging said cam surfaces, means for moving the bar along the blade to operate the first named means and change the position of the blade, said means comprising a longitudinal screw cooperating with the bar to move it, yielding means for holding the screw in one extreme position, and means for moving the screw in opposition to the spring and thus moving the bar to draw the blade back.

8. In an ink fountain, the combination with a fountain roll, of a blade for engaging it, a

transverse bar having cam surfaces, adjusting crews on the blade for engaging said cam surfaces, means for moving the bar along the blade to operate said screws and change the position of the blade, said means comprising a longitudinal screw cooperating with the bar to move it, a hand wheel on the screw, and a cam pivotally connected with the hand wheel, and with the screw for moving the screw and thus operating the bar to move the blade.

9. In a device for adjusting the blade of an inking device, the combination with a reciprocable bar having cam surfaces thereon, ad-

.' justing devices for engaging said surfaces,

a blade adapted to be operated by the adj usting devices, said blade having a screw threaded poppet, a screw passing through the poppet for adjusting the bar, a spring on the I? screw forcing it in one direction, a stationary hub through which the end of the screw passes, a hand wheel on the screw beyond the hub, said hand wheel having one lobe pivotally mounted and provided with a cam, whereby when the lobe is turned to one position the spring will be free to move the screw to its extreme position, and whereby when the lobe is turned to bring its cam into operation the screw will be moved back to the opposite extreme position and the blade will be moved. 

